BMP Broschüre 04.2017

Working instead of travelling –
being personally available for the
customer
Alf Gericke and Sebastian Göb talk about their
work in the Berlin and Frankfurt offices
Being personally available for the customer – isn’t
that just a marketing slogan in times of digital
media?
AG: Good communication is the most important
thing in project controlling – that sounds trivial,
but it’s still true. The personal contact is what
counts, not a call or video conference via Skype
or other media. I need to be on short call for a
meeting outside the regular schedule.
SG: Of course I need to travel regularly, but
working on the train or the airplane is not that
effective. And no one can focus on a topic when
regularly checking one’s watch. From my experience,
being relaxed and having a reasonable
amount of time is valued by customers. And in
fact: It increases effectivity.
AG: Many of the constructors are not from our
industry. They need us to be there, both as a
specialist and in person. Having someone’s back
not only means finalising airtight contracts but
also encouraging large-scale investments and
(un)popular decisions – against experienced
partners and in case of unexpected problems.
SG: That’s what makes our job so interesting:
Being right there in the action, taking part in
important decisions. Our aim is to advance the
project. That’s what doing a good job means to
me.
Moving ahead as a
service provider
Apart from all the enthusiasm the customer
expects us to be calm and in control at all times.
How can you ensure this?
SG: Sophisticated and reliable quality management
procedures have been developed with
BMP Cologne over the years. These help us on
site.
AG: We stick with what we developed in
Cologne. Our high-level standards are proven.
People are very different, depending on where
they come from. Many municipalities have their
own procedures. Besides legislation, you need
to apply a lot of empathy and self-confidence
here. It helps me a lot that I am from the region
and that I speak the same language as the
decision-makers. The mentality is quite different
from the Berlin, where people get down to business
straight away. It’s a great job.
SG: I am a Cologne-bred staff member and as
such in line with the company policy. But in
Frankfurt we do things a little bit differently:
setting a frame, defining a goal and then giving
people their freedom, both planners and own
staff. Our job is to mediate between interests.
We prefer to work in real teams who act cooperatively,
also with difficult questions.
The Berlin branch with its 10 members of staff is
established due to its excellent references. The
Frankfurt branch has just been opened. What are
your goals?
SG: Tim Zawada and I have been working in dual
leadership for the Rhein-Main branch since the
beginning of 2016. We have employed seven
staff members in the course of a few months.
Due to this we are encouraged to proceed in
this manner. My goals for the next months are
to consolidate and to gain a good reputation.
Therefore we need to stand out from our competitors
and to work really close to the customer.
Good service with good people
AG: As an architect, I like sophisticated design
structures. My intention is to find such projects.
Another field are international projects.
The embassy buildings in Rome and New Delhi
have been our first successful steps abroad.
The international start-ups in Berlin are another
interesting target group. They can benefit from
our expertise and together with their innovative
owners we can make things happen.
SG: We periodically need to travel, that’s clear.
But being personally available is a clear signal:
We are there, as project managers and in person.
You can talk to us, we understand you.
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